INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
No surprise, really, that 5G smartphone sales are on the way up
Frankly, there really no other way to go, according to the latest numbers from NPD Mobile Phone Tracking
The firm noted that 5G handsets accounted for less than 1% of total sales in the United States
The hurdles are also what you&d expect:
namely, pricing and the lack of 5G availability
There also the fact that for much of 2019, there simply weren''t that many phones to purchase
When the devices did start arriving from companies like LG, Samsung and OnePlus, the numbers started trending upward, with an increase of
roughly 9x from the first to the second half of the year
Awareness, too, increased notably
Some nine in 10 surveyed consumers in the United States had some familiarity with 5G in the second half of the year, up from 73% in the
Meanwhile, 65% expressed &interest& in purchasing the tech
How that translates to actual sales, however, is another question entirely
That should improve as the price of manufacturing these devices comes down, thanks to lower-cost components from companies like Qualcomm
And in markets like the United States , 5G coverage will be greatly expanded by year end, making it a much more appealing purchase
And, of course, never underestimate the impact of Apple first 5G iPhone
Smartphone manufacturers have very much been banking on the increased interest in 5G to help correct the larger trend of flagging sales.
Of
course, it remains to be seen how COVID-19 will impact sales
It seems safe to assume that, like every aspect of our lives, there will be a notable impact on the number of people buying expensive
Certainly things like smartphone purchases tend to lessen in importance in the face of something like a global pandemic
